The discussion of the background of the invention herein is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge at the priority date of any of the claims.
An optical lens is typically made of plastic or glass material and generally has two opposed surfaces which co-operate with one another to provide a required corrective prescription. When the positioning of one of these surfaces with respect to the other or the shape of one of the faces is inaccurate, optical errors can be created.
Manufacturing of an optical lens to the required prescription requirements typically includes machining the surface of a semi-finished lens or lens blank. Typically, a semi-finished lens has a finished surface, for example the front surface and an unfinished surface, for example the back surface. By machining the back surface of the lens to remove material, the required shape and positioning of the back surface with respect to the front surface for the desired corrective prescription can be generated.
During manufacturing of the lens it is important that the semi-finished lens is securely maintained in an accurate position on a blocking system during the various manufacturing operations in order to prevent the generation of optical errors and to allow a good transmission of the efforts.
Conventionally, a semi-finished lens is provided with engraved markings on the finished surface. The engraved markings define a reference system of the design of the finished surface of the lens.
So as to manufacture accurately the unfinished surface of the semi-finished lens, the semi-finished lens is maintained by blocking the finished surface of the lens on a blocker. Various materials may be employed to secure the semi-finished lens to the blocker. These materials include glues, thermoplastic materials and low temperature fusible metal alloys.
The use of such materials requires that the finished surface of the lens be protected prior to being blocked on the blocker. A protective tape is generally placed on the finished surface prior to blocking the semi-finished lens.
The protective tape can make the viewing of the engraved markings difficult, for example through the semi-finished lens. Thus, it may be difficult to accurately determine the position in which the semi-finished lens is blocked. An inaccurate position of the semi-finished lens on the blocker may create optical errors in the final lens.
Furthermore, it may be difficult after having manufactured the unfinished surface to accurately determine the relative positions of both optical surfaces of the optical lens.